“It Feels Very, Very Good”

Anyone who has ever played roulette knows it all too well: luck and bad luck alternate within seconds. It’s exactly the same on the women’s run in Crans-Montana: sometimes a bank of fog slides in front of the sun, then suddenly it snows and suddenly the view of the ground is perfect. Inconsistency is the only constant at Mont Lachaux. “That’s typical for Crans-Montana. After training everyone said you need a front number. I said wait and see – you never know here. It’s just our sport, it’s part of it,” says Michelle Gisin. The girl from Engelberg comes eighth, she has never been better in this turbulent winter in the downhill.

Gisin is the third best of a Swiss team with seven riders in the top 20 but none on the podium. Last year’s winner Priska Nufer shows a strong drive with starting number 3 and finishes sixth. “It’s just fun to drive here. Unfortunately the weather gods wanted fresh snow when I drove. But I’m still happy,” she says.

Corona hit Hählen particularly hard

Joana Hählen has been classified one rank higher. The Berner (start number 17) is behind the outstanding Sofia Goggia (It) for a long time on course for a podium finish before being overtaken by start numbers 21 (Federica Brignone) and 26 (Laura Gauche). “I have mixed feelings, but I’ve been riding well and can’t blame myself much.” Hählen does not argue with fate. “Maybe the snow fell a little faster here, but you never know here – it’s always different.”

Hählen is noticeably relieved. “This result is very, very good,” she says. After a 17th place in the downhill World Cup – at that time she had no chance with a high starting number – she breathes a sigh of relief. And she enjoys being close to the euphoric Valais audience. “The Corona winters were very stressful for me. First, because I was no longer allowed to see my friends. And second, because I was always afraid of a positive test result. I grew up as a twin, I like being close to people. That’s why it’s so beautiful here in Crans-Montana.”

Source : Blick